Classical Empires

1. Classical Empires Period 2 600BCE-600CE Adaptation of AP World History Crash Course by Jay P. Harmon

2. Political Control and Contributions • Created complex forms of governments and elaborate bureaucracies. • Kings had support • Vice-kings ruled large portions; governors oversaw territories, and city leaders reported to the governors • Empires had record-keepers, post office officials, tax collectors, soldiers, census takers, and judges • Became the model for many later empires

3. The Persian Empires • Achaemenid and Parthian: Noteworthy because of size and contacts with neighbors like Hebrews, Phoenicians, Greeks, and Romans • 1st Great Persian Empire (Achaemenid): modern day Iran, stretched across India into modern Turkey almost to Greece • Created an administrative bureaucracy • Most tolerant Empire • So large the king used regional leaders, satraps, to watch over and report back. Also, tax collectors and spies. • One of the worlds first highway systems: used by armies and messengers • Created qanats: underground canals to aid trade • Overextended itself and became vulnerable to outside attack. • 300sBCE Greek ruler Alexander the Great spent 11 years and finally captured it but died soon after and was divided amongst his generals. • New Persian based empire arose afterwards (Parthian)

4. Chinese Dynasties: Qin and Han • Noteworthy for their religious toleration, technological achievements and governmental system • After the chaos of Warring States period Qin Dynasty arose • Heavens would provide a ruler who would establish a family line: Mandate of Heaven • Used diplomatic skill and military ruthlessness along with legalism (clear rules and chain of command) to gain control • Organized governmental bureaucracy: strong centralized rule • Built Great Wall and other huge works projects • Han Dynasty lasted much longer: continued Qin with Confucianism mixed in • Same time as Roman Empire: trade and diplomacy exchanged along Silk Roads • Large, wealthy, and more technologically advanced than Romans • Education was valued • Canal-digging projects to help trade north and south • Unrest within the dynasty during the Yellow Turban Rebellion

5. South Asia • Most of the time had regional governance except during Mauryan and Gupta Empires. • Mauryan came first stretching from modern day Pakistan to southern India • Creator: Chandragupta Maurya unified India • Most famous ruler: Ashoka converted to Buddhism, improved the economy and communicated using written edicts • Hinduism remained and remains most popular religion • Mauryans placed high value on commercial endeavors • Gupta Empire • Contributed the concept of zero and an efficient numbering system • Politically similar to the Persians in leaving control of local government to allies • Hinduism and caste system continued

6. The Mediterranean • Phoenician contributions: alphabet and reading from left to right • Spreading from modern day Lebanon • Established colonies across the Mediterranean • Did not use military conquest to gain power, but trade instead. Specialized in luxury goods. • Phoenician influenced the Greeks • Used their alphabet and coinage • Greeks influenced the Romans • Rome took the Phoenician colony Carthage and began Roman Republics rise to power in the Mediterranean

7. Greek City States • Contributed to our idea of citizenship and democracy. • Remarkable concept of democracy (although only adult free men could vote). • Greek city-states shared a common language and religion but democracy was not the only form of govt these were independent autonomous city states • Athens allowed participation by male citizens but Sparta was a totalitarian oligarchy where no dissent was permitted. • Often tyrants were chosen by popular support • Alexander the Great united multiple Greek city-states for the first time in their history and concurred the Persian empire. • Expanded to include Egypt and Indus River region then divided to his generals upon his death. • Alexander the Great’s greatest legacy was Hellenism: blending of Greek math, science, philosophy, literature, governance, architecture, and art with existing forms in Egypt which included Southwest, Central and South Asia. • Known as cultural syncretism. Examples: Buddha in South Asia with Greek styles that portray the human figure realistically. Coins minted throughout the region that had Alexander’s face on them. Egyptian scientists educated in Greek schools in Alexandria who accurately estimated the circumference of the Earth

8. Roman Civilization • Patterned after the Greeks and spread the ideas • Roman army concurred Greece a century after Alexander’s death but adopted many aspects of Greek culture including architecture, philosophy, and literature. • Traded in their gods for Greek gods but gave them Roman names except for Apollo. • Roman Classical Era includes the Republic (500BCE-30CE) and the Empire (30 CE-476CE). The death of Julius Caesar and the rise of emperor Augustus marked the switch from Republic to Empire. • The early republic dealt with the struggle for a voice in government and the creation of tribunes who could intervene in political affairs • Augustus’ rule marked the beginning of paxromana. • Dedicated to building • Built monuments as well as aquaducts. Roads allowed for travel, to move soldiers, as a route for missonaries and merchants.

9. Used to military both land and sea to protect trade routes • Built military fortresses to protect political and economic interests. Fought rivals around its borders for hundreds of years • Fought people within the empire who didn’t like being under Roman rule: Uprisings in Britain, Gaul, Germania, and Palestine (Jewish nationalists) • Used diplomats and merchants to broker treaties and exchange trade goods. Example: silk • Similar to Han, Roman civs promoted migration of many people into its colonies to encourage the spread of the Roman way • Western half of empire fell in 476 CE, the eastern half continued on for another thousand years • Byzantine Empire headquartered in Constantinople. Greatest contribution was legal system known as the Code of Justinian • Roman Law gave the ideas of innocent until proven guilty, challenge your accuser in court, and the removal in inequitable laws

10. Mesoamerica and Andean Civilizations • Developed away from Afro-Eurasia. In Mesoamerica-modern day southern Mexico and Central America-the city-states of the Mayan civilization and of Teotihuacan flourished. The Andean people lived in northwest modern South America in the Andes Mountains • The Maya made complex mathematical calculations, studied stars, and developed a writing system which made them stand out in the Americas. • Built temples looked like ziggurats and pyramids, astronomical observatory and places for their royalty. • Agriculture, irrigation, and terracing of hillsides. • Maintained power through military coercion, a tribute system of goods and people from those who were conquered. • Close relationship between political and spiritual leaders • Human sacrifice was an important part of Mayan religion.

11. Teotihuacan was a city-state to the north of the Maya and one of the biggest cities in the world during the Classical Era • Separate from the Maya and had a complex bureaucracy, reservoirs, apartment complexes made of stone and pyramids. • Traded with Mayans and waged war. • Moche was the classical civ in the Andean region • Modern day Peru • Government controlled by warrior-priests • Build pyramids and palaces, traded with neighbors, irrigated and created crafts and art in gold, jewels, and pottery.

12. Commonalities • Cities were important in all empires and city-states. They were centers for trade, art, and religious and governmental buildings • Alexandria and Carthage in North Africa • Rome in Italy • Constantinople in Mediterranean • Athens in Greece • Under the leadership of Pericles • Chang’an capital of Han Dynasty • Teotihuacan • Social hierarchy with political and religious elites on top followed by other classes. • Slaves were at the bottom of all societies and Mayans and Romans depended on them the most. • Merchants were at the bottom in East Asian dynasties though. Produced nothing with their own hands. • Labor was provided by free people, indentured servants, and slaves • Road-building forced upon agricultural working class • Patriarchy was a continuity and commonality.

13. Decline and Fall • All overextended themselves, declined in political, social, and economic areas and fell. Internal disruptions and outside invasions lst to the demise of each. • In Afro-Eurasia, the Mauryan, Han, Western Roman, and Gupta fell in that order. • Internal pressures included: • Diseases spread by war and along trade routes • Peasant revolts against overbearing landlords • Yellow Turban Rebellion in Han China • Resistance to high taxation • A breakdown of imperial authority • Failing economies • External pressures came from local rebels, rival empires, and nomadic groups (barbarians)